Game apparatus



Sept 8. 1925. 1,552,530

G. A. WOODS GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug l1, 1921 Y wventor eory'eadm woods5 MM WW wibtorfieg Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES G RGE ADAMS WOODS, .Q w liE EBu A SACHU E TS- GA'MEAPPARATUS.

Application filed August 11, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Gnoncn ADAMS Moons, a citizen of the United States,residing at l/Vinchester, in the county of Middlesexfand State ofMassachusetts, have invented .certain new and useful ImprovementsiniGrame Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in games. More paiticularly itprovides a game appealing to those who are interested in the :manlyartof self defense. For the purpose of the game :two dummy contestantsare employed; and the mechanical features involve-d are such that thesecontestants are automatically brought into repeated contacts with eachother from which they react and make contacts with other parts of theapparatus from which in turn they react, the round being considered tobewon by that one which survives the other in state of activity. As hereinillustrated the contestants are spinning tops; and these prefer-ably areset spinning by any suitable mechanical means, by two persons playingthe game, each of whom manipulates one of :the tops. Further featnresofthe game are that a mounting device is provided simulating the standunder the prize-ring, on which is erected a barrier of metallic wiresarranged in form of a square and substantially enclosing -.a circulararea whose surface is I dished, dipping slightly toward the center ion:the lines of a cone. One ozfithe. contestants having a distinctivecolor, asned, is assigned to one corner of the ring which s ndicated bya tablet of corresponding color 1 bearing the words used by theretereein in- :troducing the contestants, in this corner and the name assumedfor the mechanical contestant, which may be zth) name of some we'llk-nown champion. A similar corner and color scheme for the othercontestant being arranged, the game is played by each person winding themechanical top which is the actual {contestant sponsored by himself andputting it into action from his proper corner at the sound of a gongwhichis provided as a part of the apparatus and which may be operated bya third-personor otherwise. The use of a mechanical device for settingthe top spinning produces .an equality olopportunity in that respectwhich permits persons who actually have little skill in spinning a topto play this game on equal terms with those who may be more semblance ofan ordinary prize ring.

Serial No. 491,386.

skilled in that respect; while there is nevertheless some margin tor thepractice of other niceties in .the manner, specific place and timeoifreleasing; although to be perifiectly "-falr t is desirable that bothtops start at the same instant and with the same amount of driving forcein order that one of them shall not, by starting later, have alikelihood of'continuing in action longer. 'During the round the topswill automatically be ,drawn by gravity into contact with each other andwill reactto a distance from each other upon occurrence of a collisionbetween them on which action oppositely moving surfaces come intocontact; may then strike the side or gointo a corner ofthe enclosing:rba-rrier and react -more or less against that and return toreactlagainst each other until (one of them ceases to spin. The round is-considered,to be won by the one which-con- :tinues spinning; and theapparatus includes T a score board with two sets of scope pins, one ofthe colorof each contestant; and the firststage of the score is mankedby lR-SQL ing space. The apparatus may in other respects be decoratedand dressed to give an operative To this end .onegteature consists inproviding a pedestal which raises the dished smfiace .on which thecontestants operate to aiconsidei able height say, or linches above theta- Jole or the door on which the game isplayed and this pedestal, theoutside of which-may be coloredithe conven ional gre n of a prize ringmay be hollow and may serve also gas a box for containing the game.Various changes may be made from the specific apparatus herein shown forillustration; and y it is intended that the patent shall cover :bysuitable expression in the appended claims whatever features ofpatentable noyeltyex ist in-ithe invention.disclosed,

In the accompanying drawing.

Figure l is a perspective showingwthe apparatus with the game beingplayed; and

Figure-=2 is an (elevation'in medial crosssection through a detail.

lteterring :tothe drawing the pedestal or tions may be varied greatly.Indeed, so far as the operation of the'contestants is concerned there isno need for the pedestal 10.

' Resting on this pedestal is the game board 11 which in the typicalspecimen may be a piece of wooden board say inch thick and 8 inchessquare whose upper surface is dished, having a sinkage from the edgedown to the middle preferably a conical surface. If the middle of thissurface is 7 th of an J inch below the edges of it the apparatusillustrated will operate nicely. (This sinkange is indicated by theshade lines running from the circle 12 down to the center 13. The squarering for confining the contestants is a barrier of wires 14 suitablysup-- ported, as by other wires 15, from corner posts 16 set in socketholes which may be provided for them'in the game board 11. For

Y dis-mounting and mounting the apparatus,

hooks 15 may be arranged onwires 15 for engaging the apparatus at theend of the barrier wires 14 at one of the corners, the engagement atcorresponding places at the other corners being permanent loops 15".There isinconsequence no annoyance and no complexity because of theapparatus falling apart into small pieces when not set up and yet as thejoints at 15 are all loose the whole can be folded into fiat conditionwhen the pieces 16 have been withdrawn vertically from their sockets inthe board 11. contestants illustrated are the spinning members of acertain type of mechanical topl which-is well known in the marketand'for- J which any other suitable type of top 1nay-' be substituted,the same being marked 1 and; 2 and being distinguished from each otherbytheir'coloring, green or red. The respective corners of the contestantsare designated by tablets 21 and 22 correspondingly colored; and thescore pins of the contestants are marked'Sl' and 32 correspondinglycolored. Provision is made as at 23 for holding the card 24 on whichmaybe printed or written the name assigned to thecontestant belonging inthe corner where the particular card is held; And these cards may beremovable, for which purpose the denoting the beginning of each round agong 25 is provided in the middle of one edge of the game board. 'Acontainer 26 in the "other particulars.

The

form of an open metallic box is provided in the middle of another sideadj acent to a score plate 27 having holes as seen in the drawing, withassociated numbers signifying the number of rounds which make the match,with one hole for each round adapted to receive a peg of either coloraccording to the winner of that round and with a hole at the end for apeg indicating the end of the match. It may be considered that thecontestant which has won a majority of the rounds wins the match; andthis afiords opportunity for a tie to occur which may be. settled byconof the game board is a bulletin board 28 testing another round. Atthe opposite edge number being conveniently indicated by a disk 29pivoted within the bulletin board and having a series of figures on eachside visible one at a time through an'opening3 0 in the bulletin board.Said board may conveniently beconstituted by providing posts 38 betweenwhich extend twothin metallic plates, together making thetwo faces ofthe bulletin board 28 with the wheel 29 between them. Onthe corner postsof the ring may.

and the other posts may be otherwise decor-' I ated, giving the whole afestive appearance. Although a conical sinkage 1213 is-here illustrated,the apparatus does not require that for its operation; nor is itnecessary.

that the game board he made of wood,'for papier-mach or 'inetal'stampingmay 'be used and variations may be made inimany And although in thespecific form of the invention here illustrated the tops are drawn aboutby gravity, when not under influence of superior force derived fromtheir energy of rotation, the invention ioo is not limited to thatspecies and mayiinclude means by which the persons playing move themabout, putting the skill of one against the other in this respect. Iclaim as my invention:

1. A game apparatus comprising two spinning tops having distinctivemarkings and adapted to react on contact; a board whereon bothsimultaneously may spin. and move about; a square inclosure for the topswhile so spinning, having corners distinctively marked each inconformity with one of the tops and means adapted to cause them tocontact together while so spinning; and. a

scoring apparatus having markers for the score of each top, each markerbeing distinctively marked in accordance with one of the tops. 7

, L '2. A game apparatus comprising two spinning tops adapted to reacton contact; a board whereon both simultaneously may spin and move about;and means adapted for causing them to contact to gether while sospinning; a collapsible square barrier. en-

closing the spinning tops; and posts set in the said board sustainingsaid barrier at its corners.

3. A game apparatus comprising two spinning tops adapted to react oncontact; a board Whereon both simultaneously may spin and move about;and means adapted for causing them to contact together While sospinning; a collapsible square barrier enclosing the spinning tops; andposts set in 10 the said boa-rd sustaining said barrier at its cornerswith loose joints, the joint at one of the corners being a hook jointwhereby the square can be opened.

GEORGE ADAMS WOODS.

